New York Giants: Game 2 Preview/ Giants host Lions

New York Giants: Game 2 Preview/ Giants host Lions

By Michael Stewart @golferbad

Introduction: The Giants opening game against the Cowboys was as bad as it gets offensively for the Giants, as they only managed a FG in their 19-3 lost. Now they will face a Detroit team at home that scored 35 pts in their season debut against the Arizona Cardinals.

With the uncertainty of OBJ availability still questionable, the Giants must find a way to get the offense going and produce more points. The Giants are banking on history as the Lions haven’t won at Met Life Stadium since 2004.

Top 3 Matchups:

Giants OL-vs- Detriot’s front 7: It’s no secret that the Giants OL was horrendous in-game 1 against the Cowboys. The Lions front 7 is very similar to the Cowboys front 7 and could present a problem for the Giants OL. Giants need to win this battle and control the line of scrimmage to have longer scoring drives and keep the Giants defense off the field more.

Matthew Stafford -vs-Giants Pass Rush: Stafford threw for 4 TDs in Game 1 against the Cardinals and if the Giants can’t develop any type of pass rush, Stafford could repeat that against the Giants. DC Steve Spagnulo really needs to earn his pay this week and be creative with his defensive schemes. Aside from Vernon and JPP needing to have solid games. Depth along the Giants DL could make the difference if players like Wynn & Okwara can contribute.

Giants running games vs. the Lions running game: Both teams are primary similar as both rely on a strong passing game and have a weak running attack. Perhaps it’s premature to say that whichever team can run the ball better will have a clear advantage, but at this point it does make sense. Two players to keep an eye on are standout rookie LBer Jarrad Davis for the Lions who had a very productive game in his rookie debut with 10 tackles and the Giants 2nd year Linebacker B.J Goodson, who had 18 tackles (14/4) in his 1st start as a pro. Giants need to run the ball better and this week against a Detroit team will be a good start.

What to look for: Look for Detroit offensively to do what they do best and that is to air it out. Matthew Stafford has an arsenal of his own to throw to with WR’s Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and TE Eric Ebron. Stafford will test the Giants secondary every chance he can and stretch the field. Defensively, the Lions will be aggressive and use different blitz packages to make Manning and OL uncomfortable.

The Giants offensively must run the ball better than they did against the Cowboys. Giants need to be unpredictable on offense and not run on 1st downs so much; which could put them in 2nd and long throughout the game. Manning should use more play action plays on 1st or 2nd down to slow down a Lions pass rush and/or blitzes. On defense, the Giants need to be very aggressive and almost to the point of blitzing 25% of the defensive snaps. They can’t afford to give Stafford time and let him feel comfortable in the pocket.

Final Score: OBJ availability is still a game time decision; which will be a major factor for the outcome of this game. This game could go either way as both teams are equally matched. In my opinion, the team that controls the clock and makes bigger plays with win. Overall, it boiled down to the Giants defense against the Lions offense. Whoever executes better and makes big plays will determine the outcome of the game. With that being said, I look for the Giants defense to outplay the Lions offense and bounce back and win in a very close match. Giants-20 Lions-17